Exped
Exped Lightning 50
Best use
- Made for
- Backpacking and wild camping
- Not for
- Bikepacking
Why these labels
- Backpacking and wild camping: The maker states this use, and the published specs do not rule it out.
- Bikepacking: Too big to ride with: 50 litres
From the maker's stated use and the published specs.
- Weight: 8/10 How much the empty rucksack adds to what you carry, as sold.
- Comfort with a full load: 7/10 How well it carries a full camping load over a long day: hip belt, shoulder straps, back and how the weight sits.
- Durability: 5/10 How well the fabric, zips, buckles and frame hold up over seasons of use.
Lowest price we found
£149.99 at Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Go to Ultralight Outdoor Gear Compare 3 shopsWeekend and several-night trips with a light kit and loads up to about 16 kg; heavier loads split the reviewers (Exped rates it to 22 kg)
- Access
- top
- Capacity
- 50 L
- Weight
- 1.19 kg (S/M)
- Frame
- Framed
- Back length
- 43 to 57 cm
- Max load (maker's)
- 22 kg
Sizes: S/M (back length 43 to 51 cm) and L/XL (47 to 57 cm); back length adjusts on the frame. No rain cover. Straps to carry a mat or tent outside. Stripped weight, with the removable parts off: 1.16 kg.
No rucksack is waterproof: line it with a pack liner or dry bags. Try it on with weight in, or buy where returns are free.
Where to buy
Ultralight Outdoor Gear £149.99 In stock. Free delivery. The shop lists a list price of £164.99. S/M is in stock in black and navy.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearExped £165 In stock. Free delivery. Navy and Black in S/M are in stock; Black L/XL is out. This is Exped's UK store price, with no crossed-out price. Free delivery over £75; 30-day returns.
View at shop: ExpedAlpinetrek £181.86 In stock. Free delivery. Price includes UK duties and taxes, so it is above the £165 Exped UK price. Only Black S/M is in stock (Navy S/M and both L/XL colours are out). Delivery takes 5 to 7 working days; free over £85.
View at shop: AlpinetrekPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 8/10How much the empty rucksack adds to what you carry, as sold. 8: Clearly better than most.
Exped lists a maximum weight of 1,185 g and a minimum weight of 1,155 g for the S/M (50 L); it does not say what the minimum leaves out. 1,185 g is in the 1,000 to 1,499 g band. The L/XL is 1,240 g maximum and 1,210 g minimum. There is no rain cover in the box.
Comfort with a full load
From reviews 7/10How well it carries a full camping load over a long day: hip belt, shoulder straps, back and how the weight sits. 7: Better than most.
Three reviews carried a real load, and they split on heavy loads. GearJunkie (sent a sample, 3 months of use) found it comfortable under moderate loads and says the pack disappeared at about 9 kg or less, but on one trip with about 17.7 kg it had to overtighten the waist strap painfully, and it says the hip belt struggles above about 16 kg. BetterTrail carried up to about 20 kg including 4.5 kg of water over 5 days and about 48 km, often forgot the load, and rates comfort 4 of 5. Justin Outdoors (a YouTuber who was sent the pack by Exped) carried about 17.2 kg on the hike up to an overnight camp, called the hip belt amazing and thinks the pack could carry about 23 kg; overall he is on the fence about it, partly because he finds 50 L small for the weight. Not counted: CleverHiker (comfort 4.2 of 5, but no load given) and UKClimbing, UKC for short (no load or night out given).
Durability
Estimate from maker's specs: no figure published: average for a rucksack (no durability reviews yet) 5/10How well the fabric, zips, buckles and frame hold up over seasons of use. 5: Does the job. Average for wild-camping gear.
Estimate from maker's specs
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Fit*
Reviewers' average 9/10How well the back length and straps adjust to fit you.
3 reviews on fit, e.g. "I set the back length before my first hike and didn’t need to adjust it again.".
Access*
Reviewers' average 5/10How easily you get at kit without unpacking.
4 reviews on access, e.g. "I found myself dumping its contents onto the ground to reach the items at the bottom.".
Pockets*
Reviewers' average 8/10How useful the pockets are on the move.
5 reviews on pockets, e.g. "Great pockets, a comfortable hip belt, and competitively low weight make it a great pack at a fair price.".
Reviewers disagree on this.
In short
Good for
- Weekend and several-night trips with a light kit and loads up to about 16 kg; heavier loads split the reviewers (Exped rates it to 22 kg)
- Walkers who want an adjustable back length on a framed pack under 1.2 kg
- Walkers who like a roll-top pack that cinches down as the load shrinks, with zipped hip belt pockets for snacks and a phone
Strengths
- Light for a framed pack: 1,185 g for the S/M, with a 6061-T6 aluminium stay and a crossbar
- Back length adjusts on the frame, and the two sizes cover 43 to 57 cm
- BetterTrail carried about 20 kg and Justin Outdoors about 17 kg, and both found the carry comfortable
- Roll-top closure with zig-zag compression straps that also hold a sleeping mat or flysheet outside (Exped)
- Large zipped hip belt pockets, a shoulder strap pocket, a waterproof-zip top pocket and a big stretch pocket on the back
- 5-year warranty from Exped
Weaknesses
- GearJunkie says the hip belt struggles above about 16 kg and would choose a sturdier pack for heavier loads; Exped rates it to 22 kg
- A lot of stretch mesh on the outside: UKC says whether it lasts is an open question, GearJunkie tore the hip belt pocket mesh once, and CleverHiker calls the mesh pockets the vulnerable part
- Top-loading only, with no side or back zip, so reaching gear at the bottom means unpacking (GearJunkie)
- Bottle pockets are awkward for some reviewers: CleverHiker finds them high and hard to reach, BetterTrail found them tight when full (UKC says each takes two bottles)
- No rain cover in the box, and the main fabric is only rated to 1,000 mm, so it needs a cover or liner in heavy rain (GearJunkie)
- Durability is an estimate, not a reviewed score: only two reviewers report wear after real use
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (6)
- Exped: Lightning 50 specifications
- GearJunkie: Exped Lightning 50 Backpack Review
- BetterTrail: Exped Lightning 50 Backpack Review
- CleverHiker: Exped Lightning 50 Backpack Review
- UKC Gear: Exped Lightning 50 - new, improved design (review)
- Justin Outdoors (YouTube): New Backpacking Gear for 2026 I am Excited About! (Lightning 50 segment)